MACON, Ga. — The Ave Maria Softball team dropped a doubleheader Thursday evening to open the 2025 season. The Gyrenes are starting 2025 with a six-game road trip through Georgia and fell to the Middle Georgia Knights 5-1 and 8-5.
Ave Maria opened the scoring in the top of the first, taking a 1-0 lead. Ashley Lykins led the game off by drawing a walk and then moved up to second on a Cecilia Garrett single. A wild pitch moved Lykins to third and she was brought home on a sacrifice fly.
Unfortunately, that was the only offense for the Gyrenes in the first game. Ave Maria was held hitless and scoreless in the final six innings of the game.
Gina Gallegos held strong for the first three innings, limiting the Knights to just one hit in those frames and getting two strikeouts.
Middle Georgia took the lead in the fourth inning, plating two runs. The Knights added an insurance run in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Middle Georgia continued their scoring ways into game two, scoring at least one run in the first three innings. The Knights jumped ahead early bringing home five runs in the first inning. They added one more in the second and two more in the third to take an 8-0 lead.
The Gyrenes finally got on the board in the fifth bringing home two runs. With two runners on, Hailee Howe slapped a two-out double to left-center field, scoring Mary McIntyre, who was pinch running for Annabella Phillips, and Ashley Lykins.
Ave Maria found some more runs in the final frame, plating three runs in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded and two outs, Alexa Hehl doubled to left field bringing home McIntyre and Lykins again. A wild pitch brought home another run in Howe and moved Hehl up to third. The Gyrenes finally got a rally going and had the tying run on deck, but a groundout ended the comeback too early and ended the game.
Lykins had the best day at the plate for the Gyrenes, scoring three of the six runs across the two games and registering three of Ave Maria's seven hits in game two.
With the two losses, Ave Maria falls to 0-2 to start the season.
The Gyrenes continue their opening trip in the Peach State Friday, January 31, in Mount Vernon, Georgia, as they take on the Brewton-Parker Barons. Friday will be the first ever meeting between the Gyrenes and Barons on the softball diamond. Brewton-Parker has yet to play a game and opens their 2025 season against the Gyrenes. First pitches are set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Both games will be streamed live by Brewton-Parker and the link to the stream can be found on the Gyrenes schedule.
